Homemade Ghee
Butter simmered for 25 minutes until the water cooks off and the milk solids brown, then strained into clear golden ghee.
Photograph credit: Desi ghee by Hartej.hundal · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Patience is the only skill needed. Ghee is butter cooked slowly until the water has evaporated and the milk solids have browned and settled, leaving a clear golden fat with a nutty smell and a high smoking point.
Use unsalted butter, cut into pieces so it melts evenly, and a heavy pan with room for it to foam. Over a low heat the butter melts, then crackles and froths as the water boils off. Do not stir. Let it simmer until the crackling quietens, the foam on top thins and the solids on the bottom turn the colour of toasted nuts.
Watch it closely in the last few minutes. The solids go from golden to burnt quickly, and once they smell sharp or turn dark brown the batch is spoiled. Cool for ten minutes, strain through muslin into a clean, dry jar and discard the solids. Any water left in the jar will spoil the ghee, so everything must be dry.
The Method for Homemade Ghee
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Melt the butter in a heavy pan over a low heat.
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Simmer, without stirring, for 25 minutes. The butter will foam, crackle and then quieten as the water cooks off.
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When the foam thins, the liquid is clear gold and the solids at the bottom are light brown, take the pan off the heat.
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Cool for 10 minutes, then strain through muslin into a clean, dry jar. Discard the solids.
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Tips That Matter
- Use a pan with high sides; the butter foams up.
- Stop as soon as the solids turn light brown; they burn in moments.
- Make sure the jar and any spoon are completely dry.
Serve It With
Dal · Rice · Roti · Roast vegetables
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps for 3 months in a sealed jar in the fridge. Use a dry spoon each time.
Homemade Ghee Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published .
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